cheney



April-9, 1929. c. w; CHENEY HINGES FOR EXPANSIBLE SUITCASES, TRUNKS, AND THE LIKE Filed April 1, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 9, 1929. c. w. CHENEY 1,703,829

amass FOR nxmnsmm SUITGASES, TRUNKS, AND THE LIKE Filed April 1, 1927 s Sheets-Shet 2 J7zuezz 1 C/zayZe.s% Glen c. w. CHENEY 1,708,829

HINGE-S FOR EXPANSIBLE SUITCASES, TRUNKS, AND THE LIKE April 9, 1929.

Filed April 1, 1927 e Sheets-Sheet 5 czarze zd ze/zy j I v May 7:123.

' April 9, 1929. c. w. CHENEY HINGES FOR EXPANSIBLE SUITCASES, TRUNKS, AND THE LIKE Filed April 1, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 War/z 8% April 1 c. w. CHENEY 1,708,829

HINGES FOR EXPANSIBLE SUITGASES, TRUNKS, AND THE LIKE Filed April 1, 1927 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Ea /e22 a7 a 2% 256mg C'Qr/e C. W. CHENEY April 9, 1929.

- HINGES FOR EXPANSIBLE SUITCASES, TRUNKS, AND THE LIKE Filed April 1, 1927 /%M w w Patented Apr. 9, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES WILLIAM CHENEY, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

HINGES FOB EXPANSIBLE SUITCASES, TRUNKS, AND THE LIKE.

Application filed April 1, 1927, Serial No. 180,289, and in Great Britain April 6, 1926. I

The invention provides the hereinafter described and claimed improved hinges for eXpa-nsible suit cases, trunks and the like.

An expansible suit case, trunk or the like is a well-known article and is usually built up of two similar box-like halves engaging each other telescopically, the one half constituting the body and the other half the lid, and a hinge comprising ahinged memher and two telescopic members, one of which has a spring-influenced detent adapted to cooperate with a rack on the other, said detent being adapted to be rocked about its pivot by means of a cam eccentricor like projection on the other hinged member when relative movement between said hinged members takes place about their common pivotal axis have been used upon such an expansible suit case.

The present invention providesa hinge of the kind aforesaid but distinguished by the fact that a plate-like member, permanently carrying the hinging flap is effectively slidable as, a single unit lengthwise over. and along an attachment plate secured to the body of said case or the like with an automatic ratchet or one-way clutch engagement and release.

A long flat attachment plate is securely attached to the hinging side of the body depthwise of the case. This plate is formed with a groove for approximately its full length, and in the case of ratchet action with a longitudinal line of ratchetteeth.

Arranged to slide in the groove is a platelike member carrying a hinged flap. In the ratchet form this hinged flap carries a spring awl. In the case of the one-way friction clutch this hinged flap carries a projection and the plate-like member carries a clutch bar which also engages the groove of the attachment plate. The hinging flap swings closely to the member when the case or trunk is closed, at which time the ratchet or oneway clutch is in operation depthwise of the case admitting of the capacity of the case being contracted and preventing the capacity being increased.

When the clutch is out of engagement the plate-like member can move freely but stiffly up and down the. attachment plate in either direction without total disengagement, the latter being prevented once the member is in position by closing down. the ends of the groove in a press or by hand tools.

The drawings forming part hereof represent three forms of the invention all embodylng the same essential features.

One form of the invention is represented by Figs. 1 to 4, the second form by Figs. 5 to 8, and the third form by Figs. 9 to 13.

The same letters of reference are used to indicate corresponding parts in all the forms of the invention.

Fig. 1 is a front elevation, and

Fig. 2 a longitudinal side section of the hinge applied to the body and lid of an expansible suit case.

Figs. 3 and 4 are front elevations of the two principal. parts of the hinge separate.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation, and

Fig. 6 a longitudinal side section of the hinge applied to the body and lid of an expansible suitcase.

Figs. 7 and 8 are front elevations of the slide members and the attachment plate member separate.

Fig. 9 is a front elevation, and

Fig. 10 a longitudinal side section of the hinge applied to the lid and body of an erpansible suit case.

Fig. 11 is a back elevation of the slide member and the hinging flap.

Fig. 12 is a front elevation of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a front elevation of the attachmont plate separately.

With reference to Figs. 1 to 4, the body of the case is represented at a, and the lid at c, and these are similar box-like halves engaging each other telescopically.

Securely attached to the hinging side a of the body a is a long fiat plate cl formed with a longitudinal line of ratchet teeth d directed depthwise of the body. This plate, hereinafter called an attachment plate, may

be of the full depth ofthe body a or of any part thereof. The longitudinal edges (1 d, of the said attachment plate are turned inwardly to form opposite inwardly directed hooks combining to provide the plate with a full length groove (Z of substantially the width of the plate.

Arranged to slide in the groove (Z of the plate cl is a substantially flat plate-like carrier member 6, to which a hinging-flap f is hinged at F. This plate-like member 6 has side flangesei 6 to engage the inwardly turned longitudinal edges (Z and (Z of the attachment plate (Z, so that said. member is adequately supported upon the attachment plate in every position into which it slides. The flap f is adapted to be secured to the 7 spring pawl itcarries is outer face of the adjacent side of the lid of the expansible case. Said flap f also carries a spring pawl comprising a double limb spring, 9, and a tooth, g whlch 1n the fix ing of the hinging flap to the lid is positioned on the inner face of said lid. The flap 7" therefore hinges the lid onto the bod 1 through the member 6 and the attachment plate t5, and swings closely to the member when the case or trunk is closed and away from themember as the case opens, and the adapted to engage the line of ratchet teeth (Z on fully closing the case and to disengage said teeth on opening the case. The ratchet action is I downwardly on closing the case and reducing its capacity, and operates to hold the lid down at the hinging until said lid is turned on. its hinge in the ordinary way to open the case, when the ratchettooth is moved out of engagement with the ratchet teeth (Z i It will be clear that the'hinging flap j and the plate-like member always slide as one piece with ratchet or one-way clutch engagcment and release lengthwise over and along the attachment plate (hand that no matter in "what position the member e'is upon said pawl, which is a resilient toot-h7g housed in a small boX 7t fixed to the inner side of the lun rn fiao this ratchet "tooth llitVlll a coiled spring back of it and engaging the line ratchet teethd exactly 1n the manner ofthe-ratchet vtooth in Figs. 1 we, said tooth being slidably'guioed 111 said housing.

The third form oif the lnvention substiitutes for the ratchet engagement a one-way friction clutch.

In this form, the groove (Z is provided in the attachment plate, but said plate is without the line of ratchet teeth.

Theslide member a carries the hinging flap f as before, and has side flanges e e,'to engage. the int-urnedlongitudinal edges of the attachment plate, but in addition said slide member is fitted with a transverse clutch ar comprising two parts 2', i, abutting against each other by inner opposed inclined edges j and engaging the inturnedlongitudinal edges of the attachment plate by their outer edges 7c and Z. The parts 2', d of the clutch bar are suitably guided in their movement to lengthen or shorten the bar.

upward movement of the lid. i

Having now described my invention, what IClELllll and deslre to secure by Letters A double limb spring mca-rried by the slide member e operates against the one part i of the clutch bar to normally force the inclined edges together in a direction lengthenimg the bar. r

This part i is provided with a rigid lip 72 against which a cam-like projection 0 on the hinging flap operates, when thelid swings open, to move said part, against the action 01 the spring m, and shorten the length of the clutch bar and hold same shortened so that the outer ends of the clutch bar are held out of engagement with "the inturned longitudinal edges of the attachment plate and allows the member 0, together with the hinging flap, to slide frcely up and down the attachment plate.

t will be clear that this clutch bar per? mits the slide member efto move l'ongitudi: nally of the attachment plate in only one direction when the lid is closed, namely in a direction contracting the capacity of the gripping the longitudinal edges case, and

of the attachment plate to prevent any Patent is 1.;A 1r extensible hinge comprising an attachment plate, a pair ofihingedly connected members one of which ismounted on said attaching plate 'for ad ustment longltudinally thereon but held against removal theretrom, and cooperatlng means carried by the attaching plate and one ot said members for locking the slidable' member against movement'out otadjusted position longitudinally of theattaching plate in one direction but permitting movement of the slidable member longitudinally of .the attaching plate in the opposite direction, said locking means being automatically released by tilting said hingedly connected members. M

V 2. An extensible hinge, comprising an attachment plate having its longitudinal edges turned over its'outer face, a pairof and out of longitudinal alignment, one of "which is slidable longitudinally of said attachment plate with its side edges under saidturned over edges of the latter, and

hingedly connected members movable into means carried byone of said members to engage said attachment plate and hold said slidable member and attachment plate against relative movement in one direction but permitrelative movement between said parts in the opposite direction when said hingedly connected members are in longi 'tudinal alignment, said means beingreleas able by theinovement of sald lungedly connected members out of, longitudinal alignment to permit relative movement of said member and attachment plate inthe former direction.

3. An extensible hinge, comprising an attachment plate, a member slidable longi tudinally of said attachment plate, said member and said plate having interengaging means to prevent removal of the former from the latter, a second member hingedly connected to one end of said first named member, and means between one of said members and said attachment plate and operative, when said hinged members are in extended position relatively to one another, to lock said members against movement in one direction longitudinally of said attachment plate, said means being releasable by relative pivoting movement of said members out of said position relatively to one another to permit movement of said members in the opposite direction longitudinally of said attachment plate.

4. An extensible hinge, comprising an attachment plate having a longitudinally arranged row of ratchet teeth on its outer face, a pair of hingedly connected members one of which is mounted on the toothed face of the attachment member for sliding movement longitudinally thereof but held against removal therefrom, a spring actuated pawl carried by one of said hingedly connected members and engaging said ratchet teeth to prevent movement of said slidable member on said attachment plate in one direction and slidable over said teeth to permit movement of said member on said attachment plate in the opposite direction when said hingedly connected members are extended, said pawl being disengaged from said ratchet teeth by the movement of said hingedly connected members out of extended position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CHARLES WILLIAM CHENEY. 

